The Goffstown Network is a community based non-profit organization dedicated to providing the residents of Goffstown, Dunbarton and New Boston with food in times of crisis.

Who is the Goffstown Network?

The Goffstown Network is staffed entirely by volunteers who serve in many capacities allowing the Food Pantry to operate on a regular schedule of two hours two days a week. In addition, the Pantry volunteer organizationprovides holiday food baskets during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.

History

The program originated within a local church as an off-shoot of the Parish's Community Outreach Program.In the mid 1970's a modest food locker was set up and administered by St. Matthew's Parishoners. As the ministry grew, and as community needs and response increased, cooperative ventures developed between the St. Matthew's Outreach and local schools, area churches, town officials and banks.

Eventually the St. Matthew's Outreach Program expanded from offering only emergency food assistance to the development and implementation of a Christmas Program, as well as supplying a surplus of 1-2 week's worth of groceries.

The community response was overwhelming and witnessed local civic and fraternal organizations joining in the effort. As a result, an ad hoc committee was formed in order to investigate the formation of a separate, new, community-wide non-profit organization called the "Goffstown Network". The Goffstown Network was (and is) governed by representatives of the 25 "member" organizations. Out of these representatives an Executive Board was elected consisting of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. In 1990 an application was submitted to the State of New Hampshire for the incorporation of Goffstown Network.

In 1991 a grant proposal was submitted to the United Thank Offering of the Episcopal Church requesting expansion funds in order to hire a half-time administrator. Network made a major investment, hiring a coordinator from outside the founding group for one year, and now looked forward to having a formal office set up, procedures developed and implemented and the volunteer base coordinated. This resulted in the creation of the program that exists today. In 1993 the Holiday Basket Program was permanently placed under the Network umbrella.

The Goffstown Network will continue to serve the residents of Goffstown, Dunbarton and New Boston as long as there is community support, financial resources and neighbors in need.